Performance testing

What is Grafana k6?

Grafana k6 is an easy-to-use, open source load testing tool that helps teams assess system performance and identify issues before they reach production.

GitHub project

Documentation

Grafana k6 overview

Grafana k6 is an open source load and performance testing tool that helps developers, SREs, and QA teams test reliability earlier in the software development lifecycle.

With a scriptable engine written in Go and tests authored either in JavaScript or TypeScript, k6 offers a developer-friendly approach to creating, running, and automating tests across both local and cloud environments.

The k6 open source project was started in 2016 by k6, a startup Grafana Labs acquired in 2021. The mission of the project is to give teams extensible load testing tools for building and observing reliable applications. Grafana k6 extends beyond standard load testing (such as stress testing), supporting various other use cases, such as browser testing.

Grafana Labs is proud to lead the development of the Grafana k6 project, building first-class support for k6 into Grafana, and ensuring Grafana Labs customers receive k6 support and features they need.

Why use Grafana k6 for load testing?

Author tests in JavaScript or TypeScript, or generate them using tools like our OpenAPI converter or k6 Studio.

Run tests anywhere: from local machines to Grafana Cloud.

Automate test execution and integrate with CI/CD workflows using GitHub Actions and more.

Store results from load testing as either aggregated statistics or individual data points in your chosen backend — Prometheus, Mimir, Datadog, New Relic, Timescale, etc.

Automate load testing using checks and thresholds to ensure ongoing validation of performance and reliability.

Minimize resource consumption with the highly performant k6 engine, written in Go.

Visualize results and uncover trends using Grafana dashboards or the built-in Grafana Cloud k6 UI.

Extend testing with scalable execution, team collaboration, and result insights in Grafana Cloud k6.

How does Grafana k6 work for load testing?

Author tests your way

Start from scratch by writing JavaScript directly, use k6 Studio, or convert an OpenAPI spec. k6 has multiple ways to get you started with testing quickly.

Configure realistic load patterns

Simulate real-world traffic with ramping, constant VUs, duration-based tests, and complex arrival rates. Fine-tune based on your service’s needs.

Run tests locally or in the cloud

Use your laptop, a distributed environment, or Grafana Cloud k6 for massive scale. Easily iterate during development then scale confidently.

Visualize metrics

Visualize test results using the web UI, pre-built Grafana dashboards, or Grafana Cloud k6, gaining insights into performance metrics and trends over time.

Choose the version that’s best for you

To use Grafana k6 for load testing, you have three options:

Grafana k6

Open source

Easy-to-use, open source load testing tool.

Get started

Easiest way to get started

Grafana Cloud Free

Free forever

Best suited for early stage and small teams that run small-scale load testing with up to 500 k6 VUh per month and 14 days of retention.

Start free

Grafana Cloud Pro

Pay as you go

Best suited for growing teams that perform more frequent load testing with higher levels of traffic exceeding 500 k6 VUh, 30 days of retention, and access to 8x5 support.

Start 14-day trial

See pricing details